LOS ANGELES (AP) — Asians have been slower to sign up for President Barack Obama’s reprieve for young immigrants in the country illegally.
Community advocates are ramping up efforts to reach thousands more who are eligible for his expanded immigration plan.
Many advocates have blamed the paltry turnout among young Asian immigrants for the administration’s 2012 program on the stigma of being in the country illegally in their communities, where many feel lacking proper immigration papers is culturally shunned.
Now, advocates worry Obama’s new program for the parents of American citizens and legal residents will be an even tougher sell to older generations of Asian immigrants who are already working and supporting their families.
They may be even more reluctant to reveal their immigration status to friends and neighbors, let alone the federal government.
